I have a friend that I run with once a week. His name is Jon, and he leads a pretty normal life. He works for a great company in downtown Portland, has a nice home in wine country with his wife and son, and has a great sense of humor.

But he has a secret. He's addicted to running clothes.

If you thought that women were the only runners who enjoy having "cute outfits" to run in or get excited over a new pair of shorts that make them look faster, you better think again.

Now, I'm not a runner who tries to put together "outfits." I actually think the matchy-matchy look is a little annoying. But I will try to avoid wearing a navy blue shirt with black tights, or a rainbow of colors that is likely to give my runner friends a headache. And if I have a shirt with a paint splotch (or two) on it, I'll still wear it, because, hey, who cares?

But not Jon. However, he is just one of many guys that I know who care a great deal about what they wear to run.

While Jon -- who dresses better than me from 9-5, too -- is a little extreme from time to time, he lets us tease him. After all, we have other male runner friends who:

1. prefer women's running shorts

2. wear pants even when it's 80 degrees out because they don't like their legs

3. always tuck in their shirt while running (not naming any names)

4. wear birthday hats while running (okay, it was for my birthday, but still)

Kelly JohnsonLike a kid in a candy store.

So, guys, don't worry if you prefer to only wear Nike shirts with Nike shorts (and only if the piping on the shorts matches the shirt). It's perfectly fine! There are other benefits to hanging out with a stylish runner:

1. Post-run trips to Starbucks aren't as embarrassing if one of you looks decent

2. If a guy cares about he looks, there's a good chance he cares about how he smells too

3. You can get an honest opinion on those tights you bought last week

The secret for the fashionably conscious male runner is to become extremely knowledgeable about the different types of technical fabrics and create a running schedule that necessitates a high number of apparel items. It's true ... you can't do laundry three times a week just to have clean running clothes. Who has the time?

Fortunately for Jon and all the other running-clothes-loving guys out there, here in Oregon you have a perfectly good excuse for multiple running coats of varying thickness and water resistance levels. Just don't be afraid of the sale rack, and while you're at it ... pick me up some Smartwool socks.